Electrical connector device



R. B. BENJAMIN. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. I9, 19:7.

1,422,170. a e ted uly 11, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1. [E 2 56 fi jicsisasi R. B. BENJAMIN. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-19,1917- },QZQ, 1'70, Patented July 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINQIS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 11922.

Application filed December 19, 1917. Serial No. 207,841.

To all whom z't may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connector Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a. partof this specification.

ly invention relates to electrical connector devices, and, more specifically, to pull switch receptacles.

One of the objects of my. invention is to provide an improved receptacle of the type in which the cap and shell of the casing are formed integral with each other, with a switch for controlling the circuit through the receptacle contacts. A further object is to provide such a receptacle which will be simple in construction and eilicient in operation, easy to assemble and cheap to manufacture. Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a pull switch receptacle or socket embodying my invention;

F'g. 2 is a section on the line 22 of F i s. 1 and'3;

ig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section 011 the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 Fig. 2;

is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fi= 5- ig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 3

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-40 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a viewlooln'ng into the open end of the receptacle;

Fig. 12 is a. fra mentary side view of the insulating base wfiich carries the receptacle contacts;

Fig. 13 is a section on the line 13-13 of Fig. l; p

Fig. 14 is a sectional view showing another form of securing one of the contacts; and Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the switch lever and pawl.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the receptacle shown comprises an insulating base 20, shell and center contacts 21 and 22, respectively, supported by said insulating base, quick detachable contacts 23 and 24, also supported by the insulating base 20, a second insulating base 25, combined binding plates and quick detachable contact members 26 and 27 supported by the insulating base 25, switch mechanism'28 supported between the insulating bases and 25, a casing 28 for housing the insulating bases and associated parts, a retaining ring 29 threaded into the lower end of the casing 28 for holding the insulating bases 20 and in position in the casing, and an internally threaded bushing 30 secured at the upper end of the casing 28 for screwing onto the threaded end of a conduit.

The threaded shell contact 21 is electrically connected with the quick detachable contact 23 by means of a screw 31, which also serves to hold the quick-detachable contact 23 in place and assists in holding the shell contact inplace. The switch mechanism 28 shown in axial section in Fig. 5 comprises a central shaft 32, an. insulating member 33 rotatably mounted on the shaft 32, a brush or contact member 34 mounted on the imla'ti'ng member 33, two U-shaped leaf spring contact members 35 and 36, respectiv'ely, for cooperation with the contact member 34, a switch lever member 37 to which the pull chain 38 is attached, a pawl 39 for transmitting motion from the lever 37 to the insulating member 33', and a spring 40 surrounding the shaft 32 and located in an axial recess in the insulating member 33 for returning the lever 37 after it has been actuated by pulling down on the pull chain 38.

The spring contact 35 is electrically con nected with the center contact 22 by means of escrow ll (Fig. 2) threaded into a nut 42, said screw and nut also serving to hold the spring contact 35 and center contact 22 in position on the insulating base 20. A

53 of the chain, but not large enough to tachable contact 24 are held in place onthe base and in engagement with each other by means of a screw 45, which extends through an opening in the spring contact 36 and is threaded into the quick detachable contact 24 (Fig. 2). This screw also serves to assist in holding the shell contact 21 in place, the flange 44 of the shell contact being provided with an opening 46 through which the screw .45 extends, the diameter of the opening 46 being larger than the shank of the screw, to prevent short circuiting, and

a washer 47 of insulating material, such as mica or the like, being provided between the head of the screw 45 and the flange 46 to prevent shortcircuiting. A washer 48 may be provided between the headof the screw 45 and the insulating sheet 47.

The. contact member 34 alternately makes and breaks the electrical connection between the spring contacts 35 and 36. The lever 37 maybe a sheet metal stamping'comprising a port on 49, a portion 50 lying substantially in a radialplane through the axis of the shaft32', andan arcuate flange portion 51 forming 'a bearing portion for the pull chain 38. For attaching the pull chain 38, a circularge enough to permitthe passage of one of the balls 53 of the pull chain 38,, and a restricted slot 54 leads from this circular slot being large enoughto permit-the passage of the connection 55 between the balls permit the passageof the balls 53.

A retaining lug 56 is provided to prevent portion 51.

tion 57 extending through a slot 58 in, the lever 37, the slot 58 extending substantially parallel to the axis of the shaft 32. The point of the pawl 39 engages the teeth of a ratchet 59 formed on a portion of the in-' sulating member 33. The pawl 39 is provided with an outwardly-extendinghump or projection 60, on which one of the balls 53 bears to holdjthe pawlin proper relation with respect to the ratchet teeth 59.-

A cup-shaped sheet metal stamping 61 serves to connect the coil spring 40 and the switch lever 37. This cup-shaped member is secured to the portion 49 of the switch lever at 62 in any suitable manner, as by extending a portion of the switch lever through an lar opening 52 is providiad in the portion 49,

opening 52 to the portion 50, this restricted;

the. pull chain from slipping off the bearing. The pawl 39 may be a sheet metal stamping, and has a hook-shaped per-- 36. The contact member 34 comprisestwo.

brush or contact portions 66 and 67 for contact with the spring contacts 35 and 36, and

a central connecting and conducting portion 68 extending between the contact portions 66 and 67 and formed integral therewith. The contact member 34 may be a sheet metal stamping.

The combined binding plate and contact member 26 may be substantially the same in construction.. Each comprises a. substantially fiat binding plate portion 69 (Figs. 9

' and 10) and a flexible contact portion 7 0 for engagement with the quick-detachable contact plates 23 and 24. The members 26 and 27 may be secured to the insulating base 25 by meansof rivet members 71, which may be sheet inetal stanipings having projections 72 extending through openings in the members 26 and 27 and riveted over as indicated in Fig. 10. Suitable binding screws 73 are provided, which extend through openings in the binding plate portions 69 and are threaded into. nuts 74 located in recesses inthe .insulating base. The flexible contact portion 70 and the headof the binding screw 73 are located on opposite sides of the plane of the binding plate portion 69. An opening 7 5,is'

provided in'the insulating base 25, through.

. which the feed wires areled to the binding screws 73. The insulatingbases' 20 and 25 are provided with suitable recesses 76 and 77 to a'ccommodatethe switch mechanism 28.

The casing 28 may be a single integral piece of formed sheet metal having its lower end rolled to form athread 78 for engagement with the threaded portion 79 of the retaining ring 29, which retaining ring may; also be formed of a single piece of sheet metal.

The upper portion of the casing 28 is reduced. and polygonal in cross section (Fig. 6), and the internally threaded bushing 30 is also polygonal in cross section. and fits snugly in the reduced portion 80 of the casmg. The exterior of the bushing 30 is turned down at one portion tosubstantially circular cross section, as indicated at 81, and

the polygonal portion 80 is rolled down as indicated at 82, until it is substantially circu lar in cross section to fit into the groove formed at 81. The'casing member 28 may be flanged over the upper edge of the bushins 30, as indicated at ,83.

fhe insulating base20 is provided with a suitable passage 83 for the pull chain 38.

If desired, suitable lamp-gripping means may be provided, comprising a U-shaped spring member 83 embracing the threaded shell contact 21 and having portions extendingthrough slots in the side of the shell for engagement with the lamp base.

ln Fig. 14 l have shown another form of securing the binding plate and contact members 26 and 27 to the insulating base 25. In this form an internally threaded metal, bushing 83 is imbedded in the base 25, and the binding screw 7 3 extends through an opening in the binding plate and contact member 26 and is threaded into the metal bushing 83, the metal bushing being flanged over as indicated at 83 to hold the'binding plate and contact member in position on the base 25.

ln wiring the device, the retaining ring 29 is unscrewed from the casing 28* and the insulating bases 20 and 25 are removed from the casing. The bushing 30 is then slipped over-the feed wires and screwed onto the end of the conduit. The feed wires are then inserted through the opening in the invsulating ponding. depressions in the insulating base The circuit is. from the combined binding terminal and contact member 27 to the con,- tact member 24, spring contact 36, switch contact member 3%, spring contact 35, screw 1-1, center contact 22, translating device, shell contact 21, screw 31, andcontact member 23 to the combined binding terminal and contact member 26. i I

The operation of the switch mechanism 28 is as "follows: Assuming that the switch mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. l, the chain 38 is pulled downwardly to give the rotatable member 33 substantially a quarter of a revolution through the switch lever 37 and pawl'39. This brings the contact portions 66 and 67 of the contact member 34: into engagement with the spring contacts 36 and 35, respectively, and completes the; circuit between the binding terminal 27 and the center contact 22. When of the connection h vand the pawl 39 drops, down into osition to engage with the teeth or the rate et.

l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A switch mechanism comprising a rotatable insulating member, a switch contact supported thereby, a lever and pawl for actuating said rotatable member, and a ballchain connected with said lever, said lever comprising a, sheet metal member having a portion lying in plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of said rotatable memher, and a portion in a plane substantially radially with respect to the axis of said rotatable member, said first portion having an opening therein large enough to permit the passage or one of the balls of "he ball-chain, there being a slot said opening to said second L large enough'to permit the passage 0 one the balls but lar e enough i .ing a slot therein; extending substantially parallel to the axis of said rotatable morn-- her, and said comprising a sheet metal spring member having a portion extending into said slotior connecting it to the lever.

3. A switch mechanism comprising a rotatable insulating member, a switch contact supported thereby, and a. lever and pawl tor actuating said rotatable member, said lever comprising a sheet metal portion having a slot therein extending substantially parallel to the axis of said rotatable member, and said pawl comprising a sheet metal member having a hook portion inserted through said slot for connecting said pawl to said lever member.

4t. A pull switch mechanism comprising a movable contact member, a ratchet member for actuating said movable contact member, a pawl for actuating said ratchet .member, and a chain for actuating said pawl, said chain bearing on said pawl for holding it in proper engagement with said ratchet member. I

5. A pull switch mechanism comprising a movable contact member, a ratchet member for actuating said ratchet member, and a flexible member for actuating said pawl said fiexibl member bearing on said pawl for holding it in proper engagement-with said ratchet member.

6, A switch mechanism comprising a shaft, a switch lever oseillatableabout the axis of said shaft, a tubular member surrounding and coaxial with said shaft, and

" 10 secured to said switch lever, a commutatorsurrounding said tubular member and having a bearing thereom and rotatable about the axis of said shaft, and a spring, surrounding said shaft and surrounded by said tubular member, for returning said switch lever. r

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subsoribedmy name;

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 

